Brighter Than the Stars: A Voltron Fanfic (Keith X OC)

Chapter 3

"Lunch time," Hunk announced.

"Thank the stars," Violet exclaimed. "I'm starved." Kosmo appeared in the black lion, and she grabbed three of the rolled-up space burritos, handing one to Krolia and Keith and giving Kosmo an affectionate head rub before he vanished again.

She opened her food and took a bite, savoring the flavor. "This burrito is awesome, Hunk. How did you get the ingredients to bake it?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd ask." Hunk's voice was cheerful over her earpiece. "Remember that red planet we set down on a few quintants ago? I gathered some of the dung from the local beetles there. It gave these burritos their rich flavor."

Violet choked on her food, spewing bits of burrito all over Keith's control panel. "Hunk! Don't tell me you just gave me a beetle poop burrito!"

"Uh ... that's right," Hunk said nervously. "I won't tell you."

Violet groaned, wiping her mouth. "Blech. Hunk, never tell me what you make food with again."

"Sorry," Hunk replied. "It's just a lot weirder making food without the castle."

"Hunk, we're in space," Lance pointed out. "The food is bound to be weird."

"Also, you could make space goo into a four-course gourmet dinner," Violet added. "If it does get to be an overwhelming task, though, I could help. I've been making dinner for Veronica my whole life."

"Vi," said Keith, "You cannot cook."

"Yes, I can!" she replied indignantly.

"Handing out packets of cherry-flavored gum is not cooking," Pidge commented. "Even if the Alteans are weirdly fascinated with it and keep swallowing it even though we tell them not to."

"I don't understand the point of it," Romelle said. "It is food, or is it not? Why would you just keep it in your mouth? It makes no sense. Gum is quite odd."

"Wait. What is that?" asked Krolia.

"Gum?" Romelle replied. "It's a snack earthens eat on Earth that is truly puzzli-"

"No, not gum," Krolia interrupted, eyes narrowed. "That sound."

"No clue," said Pidge, "But if I had to guess, I'd say it's interference. I'll block it."

Krolia said, "Can you magnify it instead?"

"Uh ... sure."

The strange hum grew louder, stabilizing. Violet peered at the looping lines appearing on Keith's screen. They looked like sound waves. "It sounds like radiation waves," she said. 

"It's supposed to sound like radiation waves," Krolia corrected. "Listen to the blips in between the waves."

Violet closed her eyes and listened. There was a slight beep between each pulse of noise. "I can hear it," Allura exclaimed.

"It's a code. A Marmoran one. We used to make contact with it before the Blade of Marmora was unified - only the oldest members would know it," said Krolia. "It ... it's a distress call. With coordinates."

Violet's breath caught. "A Blade sent this? Do you think ... Kolivan?"

"Maybe."

"Then we need to get to him. He can fill us in on what happened while we've been gone." Kol. He could be alive, still fighting.

"Remember the last time we did this?" Keith asked. "It was a trap. Didn't you all learn your lesson?"

Hunk blinked. "What lesson?"